In the closing days of WWII, the USS Indianapolis, which was steaming back to the Philippines after delivering atomic bomb components to the island of Tinian, was torpedoed twice by Japanese submarines, going down in 12 minutes, coming to rest on the ocean floor over three miles below. For over 70 years, the ship’s actual location has remained a mystery. Directed by Kirk Wolfinger, this PBS-aired documentary maintains a dual focus, following the search for the lost battleship, while also telling the story of the terrible, heroic ordeal of the almost 900 sailors who went into the water. Most of the men were green newcomers, inexperienced in battle. Many were badly injured, and suffered from ingesting saltwater and oil. It was blazing hot during the day and cold at night, with little food or drinkable water. After a few days, lifejackets became waterlogged, weighing the men down. And, of course, as anyone who has seen Jaws knows, there were tiger sharks that picked off survivors at random, a horror that many of the aging veterans here still find too awful to describe. One of the survivors was the well-respected ship’s commander, Charles McVay, who did not employ a zigzag route while sailing toward port (Navy brass thought the enemy threat was minimal). In the confusion of the war’s final days, the Indianapolis was not initially missed when it failed to berth on schedule, and almost by chance a U.S. plane spotted the bobbing survivors, with 316 men ultimately rescued after five days in the water. Intertwined with the historical story is a look at the modern-day effort to locate the ship’s remains—a high risk operation conducted over a vast territory at crushing depths. Incredibly, the ship is found lying on its side in two major pieces, with some guns intact and artifacts scattered about. The story is brought full circle with the efforts of aging military buffs to rescue McVay’s reputation (he was court martialed and eventually committed suicide in 1968). Combining archival material, dramatic re-creations, and interviews, this comprehensive exploration of a tragic chapter in WWII history is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)
USS Indianapolis: The Final Chapter
(2018) 90 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.99 w/PPR). PBS Video. SDH captioned. ISBN: 978-1-5317-0891-7. Volume 34, Issue 4
USS Indianapolis: The Final Chapter
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: